US 11,882,842 B2
Method and apparatus for removing skin from animal parts
Robert Steve Sosebee, Ball Ground, GA (US)
Assigned to Foodmate US, LLC, Ball Ground, GA (US)
Filed by Foodmate US, Inc., Ball Ground, GA (US)
Filed on Jan. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/102,806.
Application 18/102,806 is a continuation of application No. 17/190,526, filed on Mar. 3, 2021, granted, now 11,570,999.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/984,996, filed on Mar. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0165262 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. A22C 21/00 (2006.01)
CPC A22C 21/0092 (2013.01) [A22C 21/0007 (2013.01); A22C 21/0053 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of removing skin from meat of animal parts, comprising:
conveying the animal parts along a path of travel;
moving the animal parts through a skinning station;
as each animal part moves through the skinning station, engaging each animal part with at least one guide;
engaging each animal part with a series of skinning rolls of the skinning station;
capturing a portion of skin of the animal part between the skinning rolls; and
pulling the skin of each animal part downwardly at an angle as the animal parts continue moving forward along their path of travel, such that the skin is removed from each animal part in a substantially straight downward motion away from the meat of the animal part;
wherein at least part of the at least one guide is formed from a resilient and/or compressible material adapted to bias the animal parts toward the skinning rolls sufficient to cause a portion of skin of the animal parts to be drawn into an engagement area between the skinning rolls and away from meat of the animal parts, without pressing the meat of the animal parts into engagement with the skinning rolls.